


The Confrontation

by usa123



Series: Tumblr ficlets [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Canon Divergence - Post-Avengers (2012), Cap suit design, Coulson Lives, Gen, No TAHITI program, Post-Avengers (2012)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 03:48:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10801071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/usa123/pseuds/usa123
Summary: Phil Coulson finds out what Steve wore into the Battle of New York.  Needless to say, he was not pleased with the result.  Post Avengers.





	The Confrontation

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know where this came from but I firmly believe the SHIELD techs wouldn't have sent Steve into battle in such a flimsy-looking uniform. After all, no one wants to be responsible for the death of Captain America, so there had to be more to it.

“What the hell was that?!” Coulson shouted as he limped into the design lab, leaning heavily on his cane with one hand.  The other cradled his rib cage, keeping it from moving too much with his uneven gait.  It was barely a week after the Battle of New York and he’d just signed himself out of the hospital.  He was sick and tired of being a pincushion for no useful explanation as to how he’d survived the attack from Loki’s sceptor.

“Sir, should you even be up?” Martinez, a bright young scientist, asked as he literally dropped the stack of papers in his hand and rushed to Coulson’s side.

“I’m not here about me,” Coulson panted.  He dropped into the first rolling chair he saw and proceeded to wheel himself across the large, empty room.  “Where’s the rest of the team?  I need to speak to all of you.”

“I’ll get them sir.”  Martinez leaned over a desk and pushed a small grey square.  “Coulson’s here,” he announced, his deep voice rumbling over the intercom.

Moments later, the team rushed into the main room, still wearing their hazmat suits.  There was a chorus of collective relief Coulson was alive, concern he was here, and inquiry about his wound but the agent brushed all them aside.

“What the hell was that uniform!?” he repeated, throwing his hand out for emphasis.

“Whose uniform?”

“Steve—Captain America’s!  It looked ridiculous!”

“Sir, we went off the designs you suggested—”

Coulson looked supremely offended.  “ _My_ designs included Kevlar plating sewn into all the layers, a more useful belt that can actually hold weapons, padding in front of the major joints—”

“Sir, we did all that!  Look!” Skylar, another tech, grabbed a tablet off the desk, stripped off his thick glove, and began tapping away.  “It’s newly tested Kevlar that’s thin as a notecard but just as strong—Fisher strapped it on and got shot last week!  No damage!”

To prove Skylar’s point, Fisher freed himself from the top of his hazmat suit and pulled up his SHIELD-issue shirt to reveal a torso of smooth, unblemished skin.

Skylar paused to pull up a schematic of the suit on his tablet which he flipped around to show Coulson.  “There’s also support in the knees, hips and elbows where the Kevlar doesn’t reach to alleviate any contusions.  The pockets in the belt are designed to hold two magazines each, should Cap decide he wants to carry a gun again, but are currently filled with first aid supplies and shockers to throw.”

Couglan then stole the tablet from Skylar and continued listing the other attributes of the suit, focusing on how they served to protect Steve despite their appearance.  The rest of the team stood eagerly by, ready to chime in in case she or Skylar forgot something.

With each detail proving his childhood hero hadn’t gone into battle under the deplorable conditions he’d envisioned, Coulson felt his anger decreasing; however, his frustration was still burning strongly enough that, when the techs' presentation was finally over, he almost snapped that the suit still hadn’t stopped a Chitauri weapon.  He held his tongue though, knowing that was below the belt—even he hadn’t expected an alien attack when he’d signed up for this job.

Phil took a deep breath and scrubbed at the bridge of his nose as his chest began to ache with renewed vigor.  “I guess I owe you all an apology.”

The group waved it off in unison.  “No need, sir.  We understand how you might have been surprised.  We wanted to show it to you beforehand but…”  Frelich trailed off, lifting one shoulder in a half-shrug.

Coulson returned the gesture.  “I understand. I do have one modification though,” he added in a much more level tone.  “Ste—Cap says the helmet is too tight.  It’s giving him headaches.”

The team sobered.  “Absolutely,” Fisher said while Skylar tapped away on the tablet and Martinez pulled out a piece of scrap paper and began to sketch animatedly.  “We’ll make sure we address that in our next design.”

Coulson blinked.  “Next design?”

In that instant, wide grins had replaced the grim looks on the dev team’s faces. “How do you feel about a stealth suit?” Couglan asked.


End file.
